The windows of your home open up to the outdoors, a way to allow light in as you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a film of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be evidence of a more substantial air-quality problem inside your home. Fortunately, there’s numerous things you can try to correct the problem.

What Creates Condensation in Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the moist warm air inside your home mixing with the colder surface of your windows. It’s particularly prevalent over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s important to understand the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture within a window is produced from the warm humid air in your home condensing against the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by adjusting the humidity across your home. Different things generate humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean a Problem

Though you might presume condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home

Thankfully there are numerous options for removing moisture from the air in your home.

If you have a humidifier operating inside your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is high, think about installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture into your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from one room. However, those units require emptying water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level just like you would pick a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Bartlesville.

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can increase the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the warm air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By decreasing humidity in your home and moving air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.